Blue by Thomas Weatherall
Black Swan State Theatre Company
Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA
1 hour 30 minutes (no interval)

It’s always a thrill to encounter a new wave of artistic talent, which is embodied in the team that Black Swan State Theatre Company assembled for its production of Thomas Weatherall’s play Blue.

This one-man show is proof that a fresh generation is emerging in Western Australia’s theatre scene, from directors to actors to set and lighting designers. It’s also a timely reminder that Perth’s professional theatre companies – in this case Black Swan and Yirra Yaakin, which specialises in Indigenous performance – have a vitally important role in nurturing that talent.

As its title suggests, Blue is about depression and loss. A young man, Mark, is confronted by cataclysmic events far too early in his life. Weatherall’s tight, expressive script captures the seesawing emotions of a youthful spirit in a way that comes naturally from a writer of the same generation. 

A Heartbreak High star and Kamilaroi man, Weatherall is also an accomplished performer of this semi-autobiographical solo play, which premiered at Belvoir in Sydney in 2023 and at La Boite in Brisbane in 2024. That Blue was declared winner of the of the 2024 Matilda Award for Best New Australian Work is a fitting tribute to his talent.  

In the West Australian production, the role of Mark is performed by Perth-raised Owen Hasluck, a NIDA graduate who completed WAAPA’s Diploma of Acting and Aboriginal Performance course and made his stage debut in Songbird with Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company. 

A tousle-haired figure in a black suit, Mark arrives on stage and pensively takes out and reads a handwritten note. It’s one of many missives from the young protagonist’s mother, a paper motif that will eventually turn into multiple letters littering the stage. Mark’s unfolding monologue, delivered in the half-gloom, is directed at distant loved ones – a brother who drowned and a mother whose mental health battle gave way to a more deadly diagnosis. Mark warns that “not every story is a happy story”, and yet the play commands sustained attention as he describes his suicidal thoughts, his tipsy encounter with a girl, Effy, and his tender care for his grief-stricken mother sitting in the shallows at the beach.

In delivering a 90-minute monologue, Hasluck’s vocal range is not yet quite varied enough to avoid occasional dull spots, but his physical dexterity compensates as he exuberantly engages with the other ‘presence’ onstage. A tall set of free-standing glass doors swings wildly around, or shuts tight, under Mark’s manipulation; he dances through them in a giddy whirl of romance, then stands before them as funeral parlour doors. The gleaming glass becomes a wild sea surface or the framing of a memorable tableau in which Mark’s prone body floats out on a dark tide.

The play’s cumulative effect is created by a quartet of upcoming local talent – set designer Cherish Marrington, whose magical doors are matched by a set of remarkably versatile props; Matthew Erren, whose lighting design accentuates Mark’s roller-coaster emotions; composer Jarred Wall’s moody sound design; and Ian Wilkes, who demonstrates great maturity in directing the pace and staging of the show, particularly Mark’s physical moves.

Wilkes is a performer and writer of predominantly Noongar stories and another formergraduate of WAAPA’s Aboriginal Theatre course. He is fast emerging as an all-round theatre talent after directing several Black Swan and Yirra Yaakin productions.

Blue’s themes are probably most relatable to younger audience members who recognise in Mark the pitfalls in reaching adulthood. The production itself is a reassuring sign that the future of homegrown theatre rests in talented young hands.

Blue continues until 8 June at State Theatre Centre of WA.

For more information or to book tickets, visit:
https://blackswantheatre.com.au/season-2025/blue

Feature photo: Owen Hasluck in Blue.
Photos: Daniel Grant.